1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for supporting an image-shooting TV camera in an image transmission apparatus, such as a TV phone.
2. Description of the Related Arts
The conventional TV phone illustrated in FIG. 11(a) comprises a phone body 52 with dial keys 51 and a hand set 53 detachably hung therefrom as well as a display 54 standing in front of the phone body. As shown in FIG. 11(b), a TV camera 55 is hinged to a lateral wall of the display 54 so that it can confront an object to be shot, such as a document 56. This camera supporting mechanism is very simple in structure, but has drawbacks in that visual field thereof is rather narrow and document size is limited.
In another conventional TV phone illustrated in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b), a TV camera 55 is mounted onto the upper end of a polyarticulation arm 57 having three directional freedom of movement and secured to a lower area of a rightside wall of a phone body 52. As this camera supporting mechanism has an increased degree of freedom of movement compared to the former mechanism, a wider scope shot is possible. This mechanism, however, is too complex and expensive. In addition, a document is upside-down in the image shown on the display, seen from the operator. If one wishes to correct this reversed image, the TV camera 55 must be detached from the arm 57 and attached again thereon upside-down. Another problem is that, when the arm swings to the rightside, the document to be shot must be reset.